The Department of Art and Art History University of Texas at Austin

Art History Handbook: Guide to Graduate Studies

Introduction

The University of Texas at Austin

Founded in 1883, the University of Texas at Austin annually enrolls about 50,000 students, a quarter of whom

are pursuing graduate or professional degrees. Many of UT’s graduate programs on campus are highly ranked

nationally, and UT Austin leads all universities in the South in the number of doctoral degrees awarded. With a

faculty of some 2,500 scholars, the University of Texas at Austin is a rich and varied community dedicated to

expanding knowledge through teaching and research.

The Graduate Program in Art History

The Art History program at UT is among the nation’s largest and most distinguished, with over twenty full-time

faculty members who are leading scholars in their fields and represent a diversity of critical and methodological

outlooks. Students in Art History are regularly honored with prestigious awards and fellowships, and alumni

from this program lead successful careers at colleges, universities, and museums worldwide. Art History’s

strengths include a wide choice of course offerings in nearly all areas of the history of art, from Pre-Columbian,

South Asian, Latin American, to European, American and African and African Diaspora art.

The program’s expansive scope comprises courses covering a wide range of periods and cultures of art, while

areas of special concentration are represented by several active research centers. Interdisciplinary study and

collaboration play a vital role in the program. Additionally, research is enhanced by access to the many

resources available across campus including the Blanton Museum of Art, one of the country’s leading university

art museums; the university’s notable library system; and cultural archives such as the Harry Ransom Center.

Updated June 2020

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Table of Contents

Introduction and Program Objectives ..................................................................................2

Important Contacts and Directory ........................................................................................3

Application Process .............................................................................................................4

The Master’s Degree in Art History ....................................................................................4

Course of Study .........................................................................................5

Example Program Plan ..............................................................................5

Language Requirement ..............................................................................6

Thesis Colloquium .....................................................................................6

Thesis .........................................................................................................8

Graduation .................................................................................................8

Guidelines for Current MA Students Wishing to Apply to the PhD .........9

The Doctoral Degree in Art History ..................................................................................10

Course of Study .......................................................................................10

Example Program Plan ............................................................................10

Language Requirement ............................................................................11

Dissertation Colloquium ..........................................................................11

Qualifying Examinations .........................................................................13

Doctoral Candidacy and Dissertation Hours ...........................................15

Dissertation Defense and Graduation ......................................................16

Portfolio in Museum Studies ............................................................................................17

Departmental Policies ........................................................................................................18

Advising ................................................................................................................18

Graduate Credit & Grading...................................................................................18

Semester of Graduation ........................................................................................19

Teaching Assistantships ........................................................................................19

Financial Resources ...........................................................................................................21

College of Fine Arts Funding Time to Degree Policy .......................................................22

University Policies .............................................................................................................23

Time Limits...........................................................................................................23

Breaks in Attendance ............................................................................................24

Warning Status and Dismissal ..............................................................................24

Services and Resources ......................................................................................................25

Additional Policies ............................................................................................................26

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Important Contacts and Directory

Departmental Contacts

Art and Art History Department Chair: Dr. Susan Rather

Art History Graduate Adviser: Dr. John Clarke

Art and Art History Graduate Coordinator: Clare Thoman

Art History Faculty: https://art.utexas.edu/people/faculty/art-history

Coordinator of Museum Studies Portfolio: Dr. Briley Rasmussen

College of Fine Arts

Dean of the College of Fine Arts: Douglas Dempster

Senior Associate Graduate Dean of Fine Arts: Holly Williams

Staff Contacts: https://finearts.utexas.edu/about/staff-directory

Fine Arts Career Services: https://finearts.utexas.edu/careers

University Contacts

UT Graduate School Dean: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/

UT Graduate Admissions: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/admissions/contact

Resources

Art and Art History Student website: https://sites.utexas.edu/artgrads/

Art History Student page: https://sites.utexas.edu/artgrads/art-history/

Comprehensive list of UT resources for onboarding, health, housing, finances, transportation:

http://sites.utexas.edu/artgrads/resources/

Policies

This handbook contains some general remarks concerning University, Graduate School, and Department of Art

and Art History procedures. For complete information, consult the following publications:

• The Graduate School Catalog: https://catalog.utexas.edu/graduate/

• University of Texas Course Schedule: http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/schedules/

• General Information Catalog: http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/catalogs/

• The Graduate School Website: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/

• Teaching Assistant Information: https://hr.utexas.edu/student/student-academic-employment

Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with all University of Texas policies governing academic

and non-academic conduct. The complete policy library may be found: https://www.utsystem.edu/sites/policy-

library.

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Application Process

Full directions regarding admissions are always updated on the program website. No late applications will be

accepted. Thoroughly read Application Steps 1 through 5 on the program page for questions related to the

application fee, submission process, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and language test scores.

Applicants to the Master of Arts Program are expected to have completed a broad range of undergraduate

coursework in art history (18 hours in art history are recommended) and related fields. MA students will be

required to demonstrate proficiency in reading/translating one contemporary language other than English prior

to beginning the fourth semester in residence.

Applicants to the Doctoral Program must have an MA in Art History or an MA in a related field with substantial

coursework in art history at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Applicants completing the second year of a

Master’s program are also eligible to apply (see page 9).

After the application is processed, monitor the application via Mystatus. It is the applicant’s responsibility to

confirm that all materials have been received. After the program has made an admissions decision, please visit

the After The Decision Graduate School page. Admissions decisions are final. Due to the volume of

applications, individual applicant feedback cannot be given. If applicants are not admitted, they are free to apply

in future admission cycles without prejudice.

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions page regarding visiting campus and the application process.

The Master’s Degree in Art History

Course of Study

All courses in the program of work (except thesis) must be taken for a letter grade. Courses taken on the Credit/No

Credit basis will not count towards the completion of the degree. Students can pursue the degree with specialized or

general tracks. Courses must be in the upper (numbers NNN 320-379) or graduate (NNN 380-394) division.

Demonstrated facility in reading at least one language in addition to English is also required (see page 6).

General Track with Thesis: 30 hours

A. 6 Art History courses (18 hours)

• ARH 395 Art Historical Methods (3 hours) Required for all MA students in the first semester of

study-no exceptions)

One Art History seminar in each of chronological groupings of western and non-western art, as follows:

• 1 seminar Ancient-Western and Non-Western (3 hours)

• 1 seminar Medieval to Early Modern (3 hours)

• 1 seminar Modern (3 hours)

• 2 additional seminars (6 hours) in any of the above areas

B. 2 Minor (supporting) courses (6 hours): Courses outside of Art History, in related areas such as history,

literature, anthropology, archaeology, classical civilization, philosophy, architecture, music or any other area

relevant to the student’s area of interest. These courses must be either upper-division undergraduate courses

(numbers NNN 320-379) or graduate seminars (NNN 380-394). No Art History faculty member may be an

instructor of record for Minor coursework.

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C. 2 Thesis courses (6 hours, to be taken in sequence)

• Thesis: ARH 698A Thesis Colloquium (3 hours)

• Thesis: ARH 698B Thesis (3 hours)

Program of Work for Specialized Tracks with Thesis (30 hours)

Tracks: Ancient-Western and Non-Western, Medieval to Early Modern, Modern

Requirements:

A. 6 Art History courses (18 hours)

• ARH 395 Art Historical Methods (3 hours) Required for all MA students in the first semester of

study-no exceptions)

• 3 Art History seminar (3 hours) in the chosen track

• 1 Art History seminar (3 hours) in an area outside the chosen track

• 1 additional Art History seminar (3 hours) or ARH 396 Advanced Reading Tutorial (3 hours) or

ARH 396K Lecture Tutorial (3 hours)

B. 2 Minor (supporting) courses (6 hours): Courses outside of Art History, in related areas such as history,

literature, anthropology, archaeology, classical civilization, philosophy, architecture, music or any other area

relevant to the student’s area of interest. These courses must be either upper-division undergraduate courses

(numbers NNN 320-379) or graduate seminars (NNN 380-394). No Art History faculty member may be an

instructor of record for Minor coursework.

C. 2 Thesis courses (6 hours, to be taken in sequence)

• Thesis: ARH 698A Thesis Colloquium (3 hours)

• Thesis: ARH 698B Thesis (3 hours)

Example program plan for the MA

*Additional electives may be added if a student prefers. Students may need to enroll in more courses in order to

be eligible for employment or full-time (9 hours) enrollment.

First Semester

1. Methods (ARH 395)

2. Seminar

3. Seminar or outside course

Second Semester

1. Seminar

2. Seminar

3. Seminar or outside course

Third Semester

1. Thesis colloquium (ARH 698A)

2. Seminar

Fourth Semester

1. Thesis writing (ARH 698B)

2. Seminar or outside course

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MA Language Requirement

Language exams will be administered to all the students taking it in a given semester simultaneously, and in a

single location at a time that works for all.

The choice of language is flexible but must be decided in consultation with one’s advisor/committee chair or the

Graduate Adviser if an advisor has not yet been selected. Language courses cannot count toward fulfillment of

the requirement for six hours of coursework taken outside the department (supporting work or minor).

MA students must have reading/translation competence in at least one modern language in addition to English.

The additional language will be relevant to the student’s areas of study and will allow the student to understand

the scholarship of their field. The language will be determined in consultation with the Graduate Adviser and the

choice is subject to ratification by the Graduate Studies Committee.

• 4 semesters of college-level language courses passed at grade B or above. Advanced placement credit

can count towards the required number of courses. This requirement can be fulfilled in one of the

following ways, and must be satisfied by the end of the third long semester in residence

• Departmental exam to test translation proficiency in French, Spanish, Italian and German (and other

languages as petitioned by students) administered 3 times each year (beginning and end of fall semester,

and once during spring semester). Exams are graded by at least 2 faculty members.

To compensate for the exceptional difficulty involved, students who plan on qualifying in a language other than

the traditional European languages may be allowed to do so. Permission may be granted after consultation with the Graduate Adviser and after petitioning the faculty to substitute an instructional course in that language in

place of a supporting (i.e. out-of-department) course.

MA Thesis Colloquium

During the semester of enrollment in Thesis research (ARH 698A, 3 hours), usually in the third semester of

residence and after the completion of 18 hours of coursework, the student presents a topic for faculty approval in

a Thesis Colloquium. Enrollment in ARH 698B Thesis (3 hours) may take place only after an approved

presentation.

• In the first year, no later than the end of the Spring semester, the student will contact an Art History

faculty member about supervising the thesis and initiate a discussion about possible topics

• The wise Art History Master’s student will take advantage of the summer following the first year to

develop and research a topic or possible topics with the goal of being ready to schedule the

colloquium in the early part of the Fall semester

• If the colloquium is not held, a grade of Incomplete is assigned; a final grade will be assigned when

the colloquium is held during the next long semester

• Remind the supervising professor to change the Incomplete to the final grade using the Registrar’s

online grade change page

Who attends the colloquium?

The thesis Colloquium is attended by 5 faculty members:

• Graduate Adviser for Art History. If the Graduate Adviser is also the thesis adviser, only 3 additional

faculty are needed

• Student’s thesis adviser

• Second reader for the thesis

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• 2 additional faculty members chosen by the student in consultation with the thesis adviser

Format

• Single spaced

• Times New Roman 12-point font

• Standard margins

Header layout for the thesis prospectus:

Thesis Prospectus

Student’s name Name of supervisor

Date (including year), Time Location: [DFA 2.506]

Content

The prospectus will include the following:

• A clear statement of the problems to be investigated in the thesis

• A critical review of the state of the research on the topic

• An outline showing how the topic will be developed (about 1 page)

• A working bibliography (not to exceed 2 pages)

Note: Parts 1 and 2 together should not exceed 1500 words.

Distribution

A week before the scheduled MA Colloquium, the prospectus is distributed electronically (PDF version) to the

committee, Graduate Adviser, and Graduate Coordinator. If requested, it may be distributed in hard copy via

faculty mailbox.

Colloquium

The thesis colloquium is about 30 – 40 minutes in length and begins with an informal presentation by the

student. The committee members have already read the prospectus, so the presentation should be concise, brief

and to the point; the purpose of the presentation is to present the images associated with the prospectus and

review the main points. Five minutes should be sufficient for the presentation.

Discussion follows the presentation. Upon completion of this conversation between the faculty committee and

the student, the student is excused from the room to allow the faculty committee to discuss the topic. The

student then returns and the faculty presents the student with recommendations.

Presentation

Colloquia are presented in the Art History Conference Room, DFA 2.506. Students may present images on

Power Point using the ceiling projector, via the networked MAC computer in this room. Plan a practice

presentation prior to the formal colloquium to familiarize yourself with the projector set up. Contact the Art

History Graduate Coordinator to reserve the conference room for a practice presentation (recommended).

All committee members are expected to attend the colloquium. However, when a member of the committee is

unable to attend in person, it is possible for that committee member to attend by Zoom, Skype, or

phone/conference call.

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Scheduling the Colloquium

Contact the Art History administrative associate to reserve the conference room for the presentation, and also

make the Graduate Coordinator aware of this date/time.

To schedule the colloquium, visit the online course schedule to find availabilities for each faculty member

involved in your colloquium. Work with the Graduate Adviser to set up available time slots. Email the

committee and the Graduate Adviser with a Doodle poll, if needed. Once you have confirmed a time and date,

send a confirmation email to the Graduate Adviser and Graduate Coordinator. Please put Colloquium Schedule

Request in the subject line to be added to the colloquium calendar.

If you make any changes to the original schedule, you must notify the Art History Graduate Coordinator, the

Graduate Adviser and committee with the most current information.

• Past Prospectuses for ARH MA and PhD

Colloquia: https://utexas.box.com/s/luzqghox9cws4n521tf8d7qxofzci2ej

• Search prospectuses via UT libraries: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/12963

• Spring 2020 Colloquium Workshop Powerpoint

The Thesis

The thesis is completed in conjunction with the student’s faculty advisor and reader. The student can choose to

have more than one reader in addition to the thesis adviser and reader. The thesis guidelines from the University

of Texas may be found here: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/theses-and-dissertations. In the Art

History program, public thesis defenses are not required. The thesis is complete when the student’s faculty

advisor gives final approval.

MA Graduation

To graduate, students must be registered for at least 3 thesis hours.

Confirm Committee Members

• Any changes to the MA committee must be finalized by the Graduate School a minimum of 30

days prior to the date of submission of the final draft of the thesis.

• All members must sign the MA committee approval form. Signatures on the signature sheet can be

electronic.

Thesis Review

• Submit the final draft of the thesis, reviewed for technical and grammatical correctness by your

supervisor, to each of your committee members at least 4 weeks before the deadline for submitting the

approved thesis.

• All the details to submit the thesis can found on the Deadlines & Submission Instructions page.

• The completed form and required paperwork must be submitted to the Graduate School a minimum

of 2 weeks prior to the deadline for submitting the approved thesis.

• The form DOES NOT need to be printed on pink paper.

Apply to Graduate

At the beginning of the semester, apply to graduate by completing the online MA Graduation Application form.

The Graduate School’s Deadlines & Submission Instructions page has links at the top of the page for students,

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with a link to this form, with deadlines, submission information, and a checklist for the process. Applications are

generally due by mid-April, and this is a hard deadline. More information about MA candidacy may be found:

https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/theses-and-dissertations/masters-candidacy.

Graduation

The only graduation ceremony for graduate students (Convocation) is held at the end of the Spring semester.

If students are unable to complete and upload the thesis and submit the signature sheet and other required

paperwork, they cannot walk at this graduation ceremony.

Read about graduation and the Convocation ceremony here. Academic regalia is required to walk at

graduation and may be ordered from the University Co-op.

In Absentia Registration (generally for Summer session only)

An extension is allowed for students registered in the Summer Session who are unable to submit the thesis by

the last class day of the Summer Session. This option is called in absentia registration. This is an option only at

the end of the Summer Session and is not offered at any other time. Prior to requesting in absentia registration,

the Graduate Adviser must submit a petition to the Graduate School with the most updated version of the thesis. Students still must submit required thesis paperwork to the Graduate School.

Guidelines for Current MA Students Wishing to Apply to the PhD

Process

Keep in mind that the selection process for the Ph.D program is quite rigorous. Students intending to apply to

the doctoral program should have an open conversation with their thesis supervisor to discuss the feasibility of

taking this step.

The application file will consist of the same items that were required for the MA application, with any

completed chapters of the thesis comprising the second writing sample. If there are no completed chapters, an

additional seminar paper will submitted as the second writing sample. These materials must be submitted to the

Art History Graduate Office by the end of the first week in January.

For current graduate students at UT Austin, please do apply online. Your application packet may be submitted

directly to the Art History Graduate Coordinator.

Faculty may submit letters of recommendation directly to the Graduate Coordinator, but please clarify that the

letter must be submitted before the beginning of the Spring semester.

Application Packet

1. Applicant profile (see below)

2. Personal statement (1 page)

3. Curriculum Vita/Resume

4. 3 letters of recommendation from faculty

5. 2 writing samples; one will be an art history seminar paper and the other will be the thesis

6. All undergraduate and graduate transcripts (do not need to be official – can be a PDF grade

statement).

Internal applicants are recommended by approval of their advisor, who will confirm significant progress on

the MA thesis. Internal applicants will be admitted based on the graduate admissions committee. Depending

on the student’s progress on the thesis, this decision may occur late in the Spring semester.

If a student applies to another program and receive a funding offer, they are welcome to notify the

Admissions Committee co-chairs with the details of the offer. All universities with doctoral programs

should be adhering to the April 15th Resolution. This is the deadline for each applicant with an

admission/funding offer to make a final decision and commit to one school.

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Standard funding for a doctoral student includes four semesters of support in the form of Teaching

Assistantships (when available) and 2 semesters of Assistant Instructorships (when available). In addition,

the department will assist students approaching the primary research year in applying for major external

fellowships to support their research. Students who are not awarded a fellowship will receive modest

departmental funding to pursue dissertation research.

The PhD in Art History

Course of Study

The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires at least 30 hours of coursework beyond the MA degree. Only

coursework taken for a letter grade will count towards completion of the doctoral Program of Work. Seminars or

independent study courses taken on the credit/no credit basis cannot be counted towards completion of the

degree.

Course requirements include:

• A minimum of 5 graduate seminars in at least two of the Department’s chronological groupings of

western and non-western art: Ancient; Medieval to Early Modern; and Modern

• 9 hours of supporting work, normally consisting of 2 graduate seminars outside the Department of Art

and Art History in areas related to the major field, and 1 graduate reading course outside the Department

of Art and Art History often taken in the context of preparation for the qualifying examination. All of

these courses must be taken for a letter grade.

• A minimum of 6 hours of dissertation research and writing

Further requirements include reading/translation competence in at least 2 contemporary languages in addition to

English, a dissertation colloquium, written and oral qualifying examinations that admit the student to doctoral

candidacy, the dissertation, and the oral defense of the dissertation. PhD students who are employed as Teaching

Assistants must enroll for one term in ARH 398T Supervised Teaching in Art History, a pedagogy seminar that

meets 1 hour per week. This course does not count toward completion of the degree.

Program plan for the PhD

First Semester Second semester

1. Seminar

2. Seminar or outside course

3. Supervised Teaching (ARH 398T)* (register for ARH 398T if awarded a Teaching

Assistantship for first year).

1. Seminar

2. Seminar

3. Seminar or outside course

Third Semester Fourth Semester

1. Dissertation colloquium (ARH 397)

2. Seminar

3. Seminar

1. Qualifying exams (ARH 396P)

2. Qualifying exams (ARH 396P)

3. Reading course outside Department, in support of

a Qualifying Exam question

Before advancing to doctoral candidacy, student must have satisfied the requirement for reading

proficiency in 2 contemporary languages in addition to English

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Fifth Semester Sixth Semester

Dissertation hours

ARH 399R (3 hours), 699R (6 hours), or 999R (9

hours)

Students register for only ONE semester in R status, all subsequent semesters are in “W” status

Dissertation hours

ARH 399W (3 hours), 699W (6 hours), or 999W (9

hours)

Student must be registered in dissertation hours in all long semesters until graduation

PhD Language Requirement

Doctoral students must have reading/translation competence in at least 2 modern languages in addition to

English. These languages will be relevant to students’ areas of study and will allow individuals to undertake

primary research and understand the scholarship of their chosen field.

Language exams will be administered to all the students taking it in a given semester simultaneously, and in a

single location at a time that works for all. The choice of language is flexible but must be decided in

consultation with one’s adviser.

Language courses cannot count toward fulfillment of the requirement for 9 hours of coursework taken outside

the department (supporting work or minor). Each language requirement can be fulfilled in one of the following

ways and must be satisfied before advancing to doctoral candidacy:

• Four semesters of college-level language courses passed at grade B or above. Advanced placement credit

can count towards the required number of courses.

• Departmental exam to test translation proficiency in French, Spanish, Italian and German (and other

languages as petitioned by students) administered twice per semester. Exams are graded by at least two

faculty members.

• Confirmation of completion of a modern language requirement from the student’s Master’s program

To compensate for the exceptional difficulty involved, students who plan on qualifying in a language other than

the traditional European languages may be allowed, after consultation with the graduate advisor and after

petitioning the faculty, to substitute an instructional course in that language in place of a supporting (i.e. out-of-

department) course.

The Dissertation Colloquium The Dissertation Colloquium, held during the third or fourth term of the student’s residence and after the

completion of at least 18 hours of coursework, is meant to present the faculty with the dissertation proposal. The

colloquium is intended to be an informal conversation with the faculty concerning the topic, its feasibility, and

potential pitfalls that might affect the student’s ability to complete it successfully.

Registration

Register in one section of ARH 397 Doctoral Colloquium in the semester that the colloquium will be held.

• If the colloquium is not held, a grade of Incomplete is assigned; a final grade will be assigned when the

colloquium is held during the next long semester.

• The Incomplete must be changed to a final grade on line; you must remind the supervising professor to

do this.

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Who attends the colloquium?

• Art History Graduate Adviser (if the Graduate Adviser is also the dissertation adviser, only 4 additional

faculty members are required)

• 5 faculty members of the dissertation committee

• All committee members are physically present at the colloquium. However, when a member of the

committee is unable to attend in person, it is possible for that committee member to attend by

Zoom/Skype or speaker phone/conference call.

Format

• Single spaced

• Times New Roman 12-point font

• Standard margins

Header layout for the thesis prospectus:

Dissertation Prospectus

Student’s name Name of supervisor

Date (including year), Time Location: [DFA 2.506]

Content

A week before the scheduled Dissertation Colloquium, the student presents to the Graduate Adviser for Art

History and the faculty a written prospectus, prepared with the help of the dissertation adviser. The prospectus

should not exceed 9 pages (single spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman with standard margins) and should

include the following:

1. A clear statement of the problem to be investigated in the dissertation

2. A critical review of the state of the research on the topic

3. An outline showing how the topic will be developed

4. A working bibliography

Note: Parts 1 and 2 together should not exceed 2500 words.

Distribution

A week before the scheduled Dissertation Colloquium, the prospectus is distributed electronically (PDF version)

to the committee, Graduate Adviser, and Graduate Coordinator. If requested, it may be distributed in hard copy

via faculty mailbox.

Colloquium

The dissertation colloquium is about 30 – 40 minutes in length and begins with an informal presentation by the

student. The committee members have already read the prospectus, so the presentation should be concise, brief

and to the point; the purpose of the presentation is to present the images associated with the prospectus and

review the main points. Ten minutes should be sufficient for the presentation.

Upon completion of the presentation, the student and committee discuss the proposed dissertation. Following

this discussion, the student is excused from the room during faculty discussion of the topic, after which the

student returns and the faculty presents the student with recommendations.

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The topics for the doctoral qualifying examinations are set at the colloquium. The student must complete the

doctoral qualifying examinations by the end of the next long semester following the colloquium presentation.

There may be additional discussion about the composition of the dissertation committee. Note also that the final

composition of the dissertation committee is not formalized until after the qualifying exams are completed and

the student initiates the online doctoral candidacy application process.

Presentation

Colloquia are presented in the Art History Conference Room, DFA 2.506. Students may present images on

Power Point using the ceiling projector, via the networked MAC computer in this room. Plan a practice

presentation prior to the formal colloquium to familiarize yourself with the projector set up. Contact the Art

History Graduate Coordinator to reserve the conference room for a practice presentation (recommended).

All committee members are expected to attend the colloquium. However, when a member of the committee is

unable to attend in person, it is possible for that committee member to attend by Zoom, Skype, or

phone/conference call.

Scheduling the Colloquium

Contact the Art History administrative associate to reserve the conference room for your presentation, and also

make the Graduate Coordinator aware of this date/time.

To schedule the colloquium, visit the online course schedule to find availabilities for each faculty member

involved in your colloquium. Work with the Graduate Adviser to set up available time slots. Email your

committee and the Graduate Adviser with a Doodle poll, if needed. Once you have confirmed a time and date,

send a confirmation email to the Graduate Adviser and Graduate Coordinator. Please put Colloquium Schedule

Request in the subject line to be added to the colloquium calendar.

If you make any changes to the original schedule, you must notify the Art History Graduate Coordinator, the

Graduate Adviser and committee with the most current information.

• Past Prospectuses for the MA and PhD in Art History

Colloquia: https://utexas.box.com/s/luzqghox9cws4n521tf8d7qxofzci2ej

• Search prospectuses via UT libraries: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/12963

• Spring 2020 Colloquium Workshop Powerpoint

Qualifying Examinations Qualifying Examinations are comprised of both written examinations and an oral examination. The oral exam is

attended by all 4 examiners. The Graduate Adviser does not necessarily attend the oral examination unless they

are supervising one of the examinations. An examiner may attend by Zoom/Skype/conference call if they are not

on campus.

Students will be examined in 4 areas: at least 2 broad areas of expertise and 1 or 2 focused areas, with the

possibility of 1 area being directed by a faculty member outside the Department of Art and Art History.

Registration

While preparing for qualifying exams, register for as many sections of ARH 396P, Qualifying Exam

Preparation, as needed to meet registration (full or part-time) requirements. Students do not need to register

for ARH 396P with every examiner. Students must complete a form, signed by each instructor of record for

each ARH396 P taken, and submit it to the Graduate Coordinator prior to the beginning of the semester.

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As noted on the doctoral program of work, students will also register for a graduate-level reading tutorial (often

referred to in other departments as a conference course or independent study) supervised by a faculty member

outside the department who is on the examining committee.

• The reading tutorial will be on the letter-grade basis if the course will be used to complete the third

required minor course taken outside the department.

• Contact the Graduate Coordinator in the outside faculty member’s home department to request

information on the registration process, which will require a form.

• When the form is completed and submitted, students may register register themselves.

If all examiners are Art History faculty, register for a seminar or graduate independent study in an outside

department to complete the final (third) course requirement for minor (supporting) work.

• The 4 written exams must be completed within a 7-day period.

• The oral examination can be scheduled as soon as the day after the last written exam and preferably no

more than 2-3 days following the last written examination.

• When the dates for the written qualifying examinations and oral examination have been set, notify the

Graduate Coordinator with the names and email addresses of the 4 examiners, including the date and

time each examiner’s question will be given.

Examination and Reservation Process

The Graduate Coordinator will request questions from each examiner and archive the questions until the date of

the examination. Examinations should begin no earlier than 9:00 am and must be completed no later than 4:30

pm. Reserve an additional 15 minutes on either side of the 3-hour block as a buffer.

Contact the Graduate Coordinator about a suitable room in the Art History suite for your exams. If no room is

available, reserve a room in the Fine Arts Library, using their online room reservation page. The rooms available

are DFA 4.104, DFA 4.110 and DFA 4.112. When scheduling these rooms, make sure no music classes are

scheduled in the adjacent room during your exam time.

Contact the Art History Administrative Assistant to schedule the neutral (non-internet connected) laptop

computer for the written portion of the exams and to schedule the Art History Conference Room (DFA 2.506)

for a two-hour block for the oral exam. The Art History Conference room is always reserved on Wednesday

afternoons from 3-5 pm for faculty meetings; this time slot is not available for oral exams.

Written Exams

• At the beginning of each 3-hour exam period, the Graduate Coordinator will provide students with 1 or

2 questions. If the examiner has provided 2 questions, choose 1 of the questions and, without access to

notes, books, bibliography, internet or any form of supporting materials, produce a written response

during the 3 hours allocated for the exam.

• Students are allowed to have blank paper, pens/pencils and snacks in the examination room.

• At the completion of each exam, bring the laptop to the Art History Office. The exam will be transferred

onto a computer via USB flash drive.

• Electronic copies will be sent to all examiners and the student. Hard copies will be printed upon request.

Oral Exam

• When all written qualifying examinations are completed, a 2-hour oral examination on the same topics

will follow with. The entire examining committee will question the student about their responses. At the

beginning of the exam, the faculty will request that the student step outside while they discuss the

content of the written exams. When the student returns, each examiner in turn will take some time

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(typically 25 minutes or so) to question the student on the written response to the question. At the end of

this period, the student is again requested to step outside the room while the examiners discuss the

student’s written and oral responses and determine a grade.

• The student’s performance on these exams will be ranked Pass or Fail

Note: The student may apply for doctoral candidacy when all program requirements are completed (including foreign language requirements) and after completion of qualifying exams. However, the Registrar blocks

registration in dissertation hours until the online Doctoral Candidacy Application is final approved by Graduate School. Refer to the Doctoral Candidacy and Dissertation Hours section for details.

Below are examples of past qualifying examinations topics. Please note that these can include both general

subjects and topics related to a particular student’s dissertation research:

Medieval Art

1. Gothic Art

2. Northern Renaissance Art

3. French Court Culture and Patronage (possibly an outside the Department question)

4. Fourteenth-Century Manuscript Illumination

Modern/Contemporary European Art

1. European Art, 1890-1945

2. Art of the United States, 1945-1985

3. Art and Philosophy of Language (Examiner: Art History Dept.)

4. Little Magazines and Literary Modernism (Examiner: English Dept.)

Doctoral Candidacy and Dissertation Hours The online doctoral candidacy application must be final approved by the graduate dean before students are

eligible to register in dissertation hours. If students need placeholder hours until they can add dissertation hours,

it is advised they register for as many sections of ARH 396C Reading Tutorial as needed. If students still have

an advising bar when they are are eligible to register for dissertation hours, email the Graduate Adviser to

discuss the program of work and plans for completion. After this discussion takes place, email the Graduate

Coordinator to request that the advising bar be cleared.

Applying for Doctoral Candidacy

After completing all program requirements (including both foreign language requirements) and passing the

written and oral qualifying exams, the committee supervising the dissertation is formalized in the doctoral

candidacy application process. Please confirm with the Graduate Coordinator that all program requirements

have been met.

Forming the Dissertation Committee

In consultation with the committee supervisor, confirm the 5 individuals who have agreed in advance to serve on

the dissertation committee, following these criteria:

• The supervisor and at least 2 other people on the committee must be from the Art History Graduate

Studies Committee (tenured or tenure-track faculty)

• 1 person on the committee must be from outside the department

• The “outside” person may be from the University of Texas at Austin or another university.

Applying for doctoral candidacy

Review the Application for Doctoral Candidacy. Students must be registered (tuition paid) to submit the online

candidacy application. If students have not applied by the end of the semester, they must wait until registration

is completed for the following semester before initiating the application. After admission to candidacy for the

doctoral degree, students must stay in continuous enrollment in dissertation hours each Spring and Fall semester

until the degree is completed, unless in ISR status (see bottom of page).

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Students may register for 3, 6 or 9 dissertation hours. The first digit of the course number indicates the

number of credit hours, so ARH 399 = 3 credit hours, ARH 699 = 6 credit hours, and ARH 999 = 9 credit

hours. Students employed as a Teaching Assistant, Assistant Instructor, Graduate Research Assistant, or

Grader must be enrolled for 9 credit hours.

Once the doctoral dissertation committee is final approved by the Graduate School, it can be changed only

by petition to the Graduate School, with the agreement of all committee members. If the doctoral candidacy

is final approved early in the semester, the student can drop place-holder hours and register for dissertation

hours. Contact the Graduate Coordinator for information. Once the doctoral candidacy application has been

approved, a student may request to be put on the waitlist for an individual study room in the Fine Arts

Library. Ask the Graduate Adviser about this process.

Registering in dissertation hours

The online doctoral candidacy application must be final approved by the graduate dean before students can

register in dissertation hours. For all semesters, students will register for ARH 399W, 699W, or 999W –

dissertation writing. (_99R or dissertation reading was removed from the schedule in 2018).

After the second semester in dissertation hours, all students in doctoral candidacy are batch-registered for

the same amount of hours as the previous semester. Any type of financial or non-financial bar will block the

batch registration process. Always check registration and make sure you are registered and for the correct

number of hours. Students must be registered in dissertation hours in the semester that they defend the

dissertation and graduate. If the student does not submit the completed dissertation and graduate in the

semester the dissertation defense takes place, they will need to continue to register in dissertation hours until

they graduate.

Independent Study and Research (ISR) status

In certain circumstances, students conducting independent research outside of the U.S. may be eligible

for Independent Study and Research (ISR) status in lieu of registering for dissertation hours. However, as noted

above, you must be registered in dissertation hours to defend the dissertation and graduate. If you are approved

for ISR status, the International Office staff will register you. Pay careful attention to the health insurance

requirements of ISR.

The Dissertation

The dissertation must make an original contribution to scholarship. It normally requires fieldwork of at least a

year’s duration. The Dissertation Committee directs the student during the completion of the dissertation. The

dissertation guidelines from the University of Texas may be found here:

https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/theses-and-dissertations.

The request must be filed in the Graduate School with the abstract, signature and title pages for a format check

at least 2 weeks in advance of the defense. This time is necessary for the Graduate School to process the request

and to mail the defense report materials, a copy of the abstract and an invitation to the defense to all committee

members and graduate program.

Dissertation Defense and Graduation

To defend the dissertation and graduate, students must be registered for at least 3 dissertation hours.

Apply to Graduate

At the beginning of the semester, apply to graduate by completing the online Doctoral Degree Candidate form.

The Graduate School’s Deadlines and Forms page has links at the top of the page for doctoral students, with a

link to this form, with deadlines, dissertation submission information, and a checklist for the process.

Applications are generally due by mid-April, and this is a hard deadline.

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Confirm Committee Members

• If students have been in dissertation hours for a number of years, check to see who is officially listed as

a member of the dissertation committee.

• Any changes or updates to the committee can be made only by submission of the Petition for a Change in Doctoral Committee to the Graduate School and with the agreement of all committee

members.

• Any changes to the committee must be finalized by the Graduate School a minimum of 30 days prior to

the date of the dissertation defense.

• At least 4 committee members, including your supervisor, must be physically present at the defense (via

Zoom is acceptable) and all members must sign the signature page of the dissertation. Signatures on

the signature sheet can be electronic.

The Dissertation

• Submit the final draft of the dissertation, reviewed for technical and grammatical correctness by your

supervisor, to each committee member at least 4 weeks before the dissertation defense date.

• Request for Final Oral- scheduling your defense with the Graduate School.

All the details to set the time and date for the dissertation defense can be found on the Deadlines &

Submission Instructions page. This page also has a link to the Request for Final Oral form.

• The completed form and required paperwork must be submitted to the Graduate School a minimum

of 2 weeks prior to the defense date.

• The form DOES NOT need to be printed on a special paper color

The dissertation is retained by the University Libraries. Information about format requirements is available from

the Office of Graduate Studies.

Dissertations must be made available to the public. A list of ways of doing this is available from the Office of

Graduate Studies. The student may request permission from the graduate dean to temporarily delay making the

dissertation available to the public in order to protect patent or other rights. This request must be supported by a

written recommendation from the dissertation supervisor. The graduate dean makes the final decision regarding

delayed publication.

Students may arrange for registration of copyright, at their own expense, by making arrangements directly with

the copyright office at: https://www.copyright.gov/registration/.

Graduation

The only graduation ceremony for graduate students (Convocation) is held at the end of the Spring semester.

If students are unable to complete and upload the dissertation and submit the signature sheet and other

required paperwork, they cannot walk at this graduation ceremony.

Read about graduation and the Convocation ceremony here. Academic regalia is required to walk at

graduation and may be ordered from the University Co-op.

In Absentia Registration (generally for Summer session only)

An extension is allowed for students registered in the Summer Session who are unable to submit the dissertation

by the last class day of the Summer Session. This option is called in absentia registration. This is an option only

at the end of the Summer Session and is not offered at any other time. Prior to requesting in absentia

registration, the Graduate Adviser must submit a petition to the Graduate School with the most updated version

of your dissertation. Students still must submit required dissertation paperwork to the Graduate School.

Portfolio in Museum Studies

Program Description

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Beginning in the Fall semester 2008, the Portfolio in Museum Studies allows MA and PhD students already

enrolled in the Art History graduate program to develop a concentration concerning some aspect of the practices

and cultural significance of museums. This non–degree program offers opportunities for obtaining further

expertise in a cross–disciplinary manner. Those interested in this portfolio program should refer to the Portfolio

in Museum Studies site: https://museumstudies.finearts.utexas.edu/.

The specific goals of this program are:

1. To develop an understanding of how museums and their collections shape societies

2. To develop an awareness of past practices of museums in order to foster an understanding of current and

future developments

3. To develop practical and analytical skills relevant to understanding the increasingly complex roles of

museums and those who work in them

Through a set of thematically related courses, this portfolio program is meant to promote cross–disciplinary

scholarship and study by bringing together faculty and students from a variety of disciplines whose interests and

training transcend the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines.

Upon completion of both the degree and the portfolio requirements, the portfolio certification will be added to

the student’s transcript.

Departmental Policies Advising Each semester, the Course Schedule lists all courses offered and is published online, usually the week prior

to advising. All graduate students must meet with the Graduate Adviser prior to registering for courses. The

advising bar (account hold) will not be cleared until the student has met with the Graduate Adviser in

person. Academic advising for the Fall semester takes place in April for continuing students and late August

for incoming students; academic advising for the Spring semester takes place in October.

The Graduate Coordinator will set up advising appointments via Google Sheets with the dates and blocks of

times the Graduate Adviser is available for academic advising. Prior to advising, review the degree

requirements and program progress. Students may register for an Art History seminar or outside elective

only if approval is received during an academic advising meeting with the Graduate Adviser. The student is

ultimately responsible for tracking and completing the requirements in their Program of Work.

Course Schedule and Online Registration The Course Schedule and Add/Drop procedures are published online each semester before advising and

registration at www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/schedules. Students register for each semester online using UT

Direct. Students must be advised by the Graduate Adviser and clear all financial bars before registering. In order

to expedite TA assignments, please register during initial registration.

Coursework outside of Art History is suggested here. If any course listed in the Course Schedule does not show

as “open,” it has been restricted by that department. Most departments restrict their graduate courses and you

will likely need the consent of the instructor to register. The Graduate Coordinator in that department may

register you for the course if permission of the instructor has been received. If you have consent and are

requesting registration from a Graduate Coordinator by email, always include: Full name, UT EID, the number

and title of the course, the unique number for the course (5 digits). If you previously received consent from the

instructor by email, paste the consent information into the email.

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Graduate Credit & Grading

Grade Point Average

To receive a degree, the student must have an overall graduate grade point average of at least a B average/3.0.

Only upper-division undergraduate (numbers NNN 320-379) or graduate-level (NNN 380-394) courses at the

University of Texas at Austin (except report and exhibition courses) are counted in the grade point average.

Courses receiving letter grades of C- through F do not fulfill degree requirements. See the Graduate School’s

complete policy on graduate credit: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/policies/grades-and-credit.

Credit/No Credit

A student may take no more than two additional courses not specifically required for the degree on a credit/no

credit basis. A student may elect this option, with the approval of the Graduate Adviser, within the first 8 weeks

of the long semester or the first 3 weeks of the summer session. See the Graduate Coordinator for the form.

Credit/No Credit grades are not computed in the grade point average. Performance level of "C" or above

constitutes a grade of Credit (Cr).

Incomplete Grades

Grades must be given for every course. Incompletes are not for student convenience (i.e. lack of work or

unfinished work); they may be issued only in case of approved, compelling, non-academic circumstances

beyond the student's control. If an “incomplete” is warranted, the instructor reports the symbol "X" to the

Registrar in place of a grade. The student must complete the course requirements and the instructor must report

a final grade by the end of the grade-reporting period in the student's next long-session semester of enrollment.

If this deadline is not met, the "X" is converted to an “I” (Permanent Incomplete) and can never be converted to

a grade. A student cannot be assigned a TA position if they have an Incomplete. A student cannot graduate with

an “X” or “I” in their Program of Work.

Semester of Graduation

Application to Graduate

Students must visit the Office of Graduate Studies website https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/graduation

for deadlines and graduation information. Follow all directions listed. The application for graduation is generally

due in April for Spring graduates, and July for Summer graduates. There are no exceptions for missed deadlines.

The Graduate Studies graduation website also has the most updated information regarding deadlines,

convocation details, career resources, and official verification of degree timelines.

Registration for Final Semester

Students must register for thesis or dissertation hours during the last semester of coursework in which they

expect to receive their degrees.

Format Check

All students are encouraged complete a format check in the Graduate School. To perform a format check, go to

http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/pdn/, click on the “Master’s Graduation Deadlines and Guidelines” for the current

semester, and scroll to the bottom of the page to determine who to contact for the format check.

Uploading Thesis or Dissertation

Students must upload their materials and deliver a title page, signature page, abstract and a Statement on

Research with Human Participants by the 3 pm on the last day of classes. Current requirements can be found

here: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/pdn/. The Graduate School must approve the Report.

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Teaching Assistantships

The complete handbook of Teaching Assistant employment guidelines may be found

here: https://policies.utexas.edu/policies/teaching-assistants.

Graduate school policies regarding Grad Student Academic

Appointments: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academic-employment.

Teaching Assistant Eligibility

To be employed as a Teaching Assistant, students must:

1. Be a degree-seeking graduate student without existing admissions conditions imposed by the Vice

Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies;

2. Be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree;

3. Remain registered in courses that count toward the graduate degree for at least nine semester hours

during each semester of the long session; and

4. If holding an appointment for any summer term (first six weeks, second six weeks, nine weeks or

twelve weeks), must remain registered in courses that count toward the graduate degree for at least

three summer hours during any term of the summer session.

Grade expectations

An employee must not have more than:

• Two grades of X (temporary incomplete), or

• One grade of X and one grade of I (permanent incomplete).

A graduate student may not be employed after their 14th semester of academic employment unless a

successful 14-semester petition is submitted to the Graduate School before the 15th semester of

employment

Appointment of TAs

All Teaching Assistant (TA) appointments are made on a semester-by-semester basis, follow strict departmental

criteria, and are subject to availability of funds. Departmental criteria for appointment of TAs have this order of

priority: safety concerns, technical laboratory considerations, specific academic program needs, faculty requests,

and student requests. All teaching assistantship awards are performance-based and subject to availability.

Guidelines and Resources for TAs

TAs are held to the same ethical standards as faculty. For comprehensive information on duties, benefits,

teaching tips, academic integrity, Center for Teaching Effectiveness, Graduate Student Instructor Program and

the ASPECTS workshop series, consult both http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/employment/ and http://ctl.utexas.edu/.

Tuition Reduction Benefits (TRB)

The University provides Tuition Assistance to all TAs hired for half and full appointments in the Fall and Spring

and those hired for full appointments in the Summer. If you hold a TA appointment, you should receive a

Tuition Reduction Benefit.

Insurance

Teaching Assistants appointed as full-time TAs (20 hours/week) for 4.5 months or more (one long semester) are

eligible for health insurance as offered by the University to its employees: https://hr.utexas.edu/student/student-

employee-insurance-benefits. Please see this page for questions related to benefits and summer insurance

coverage.

In-State Tuition Eligibility

Non-resident and international students who hold full TA appointments will pay tuition and fees at the rate

charged to in-state residents. If there are questions regarding residency status, please see UT’s Residency

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Entitlement site. TAs should always receive in-state tuition, but are required to request this benefit each

semester: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/acct/fb/waivers/rte_request.WBX.

International Students as TAs

International Students must demonstrate English language proficiency before being assigned as a TA:

https://world.utexas.edu/esl/ita. This requires registering for an Oral English Proficiency Assessment. Please see

the Texas Global website for Frequently Asked Questions, including exemptions and scoring.

Intenational students may work as many as 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters. Full-time

employment (21-40 hours per week) is allowed only during the following times for enrolled and continuing

students:

• Spring Break (5 weekdays, plus the Saturday and Sunday before and after)

• Summer (day after May graduation through day before August classes start

• Winter Break (day after December graduation through day before January classes start).

20/30 Hour Limit

Assignments in a student job title at the university, including academic as well as non-academic positions, may

not exceed 20 hours per week during the first two long semesters (fall/spring) of graduate study at UT Austin,

and no more than 30 hours per week during the subsequent semesters, including summer.

The following exceptions apply: up to 40 hours per week during:

• Spring Break (5 weekdays, plus the Saturday and Sunday before and after);

• Summer (day after May graduation through day before August classes start, but no more than an

average of 30 hours per week between 6/1 and 8/31; and

• Winter Break (day after December graduation through day before January classes start).

Mandatory Reporting and Open Records

As an employee of the university, if you witness or receive information about sexual harassment, sexual assault,

dating violence or stalking that involves a current student or employee, you must promptly report the incident to

the University’s Title IX Coordinator or a Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

Additionally, the university is a public employer and is subject to the Texas Public Information Act. As such,

records created by and about you may be subject to an open records request and disclosure. Your name, work

location and other employment related information, including salary, may be visible on publicly accessible

websites or in other publicly available records.

Financial Resources Funding The Department of Art and Art History awards scholarship funding based on holistic application review and

performance. All students are automatically considered for these awards.The Art History program attempts to

fund as many students as possible through grants, scholarships, and fellowships.

All domestic students should consider completing a FAFSA to see if they are eligible for state or national aid in

the form of loans or grants. Students are not required to complete a FAFSA, nor are they required to accept

offered financial aid.

For international students, please consult the International Fees Fact Sheet, an important document containing

tax and insurance information.

22

Primary Research

Advanced doctoral students (usually in the second year) planning for the primary research year in the

subsequent year, who wish to be considered for nomination by the department for grants should utilize the

following page regarding steps to submit nominations to the Scholarships Chair:

https://sites.utexas.edu/artgrads/funding-3/.

A comprehensive list of fellowships and grants for Art History students may be found here:

https://sites.utexas.edu/artgrads/funding-4/. Deadlines and additional resources are listed here:

https://sites.utexas.edu/artgrads/funding-2/.

Graduate School and College of Fine Arts Fellowships

The Graduate School and College offer a couple of sizable fellowships to continuing students. The award is

made by nomination only. For more information: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/funding/fellowships/continuing/.

Travel Funding

1. Departmental Funding

Applications for conference travel (Professional Development Awards) are received on a rolling basis

throughout the semester. Students do not necessarily apply on a direct link, as the award is based on a

departmental nomination. Payment comes from two sources, the Office of Graduate Studies and department

funds.

Although Art History’s major research competition is in the spring, a fall competitions will fund research travel

for PhD students to be carried out in the winter or early spring. Since most Master’s-level thesis projects are

intended to be completed without travel, the majority of this money goes to PhD students. In certain cases,

support may be available for MA students. Funding allowances are determined by the Scholarship chair.

Research Travel Fund Request Form

AH-Conference-Travel-Request

2. Graduate School Professional Development Awards

Students may be funded by a Graduate School Professional Development Award only once each academic

year. The amounts awarded follow the guidelines. Each year the Office of Graduate Studies awards the

Department of Art and Art History provides funding for advanced doctoral students to attend professional

conferences to present a paper based on original research.

Prior to applying for the Graduate School’s travel funding, please speak with the Art History Scholarship Chair.

The Graduate School Professional Development Awards website has details regarding the deadlines, Student

Professional Development Form, and necessary materials. See: http://sites.utexas.ed.u/artgrads/travel-funding/.

Non-Resident Tuition Waivers

A limited number of non-resident tuition waivers are available for students from outside of Texas. Non-resident tuition waivers are awarded on a semester-by-semester basis. The students who receive these waivers pay

resident tuition as opposed to non-resident tuition. All out-of-state-students are automatically considered for

these awards.

Emergency Funds

The office of Student Emergency Services exists to help students and their families during difficult or

emergency situations. The Student Emergency Fund provides limited emergency financial support to currently

enrolled students who are unable to meet essential expenses. Awards are not considered loans and do

not require repayment. Some funds may be considered income and are therefore subject to federal taxes.

Tuition Loans and Emergency Loans

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Tuition loans are available during registration and will be applied to a student's fee bill. Full-time students who

are US citizens can get a Tuition Loan for their entire tuition bill. International students can get a Tuition Loan

for half their tuition bill. Interest is charged at a rate of 4% per year. Emergency loans of up to $300 are given in

cash. Contact Student Financial Services for more information, 512-475-6282.

College of Fine Arts Funding Time to Degree Policy (Updated 2017)

The College of Fine Arts strives to matriculate outstanding doctoral (PhD, DMA), terminal masters (MFA.) and

non-terminal masters degree (MA, MM) students and provide them with the training, experience and support

necessary for successful completion of their respective degrees and placement in academic and other training-

related jobs upon graduation.

As higher education comes under increasing scrutiny for its ability to deliver quality education within a

reasonable time frame, issues of time to degree and level of support for graduate education naturally draw focus.

Graduate student support takes the form of fellowships, external grants and work appointments as Teaching

Assistants (TA), Assistant Instructors (AI) and Graduate Research Assistants (GRA).

The College of Fine Arts, responsive to the issues of support and sensitive to the corollary dynamic surrounding

student debt, monitors graduate student enrollment and overall program populations, encourages multi-year

support offers as part of recruitment, and calculates average time to degree of all programs, particularly relative

to per-student average levels of funding support.

It is the general expectation that graduate students maintain full-time status for the full duration of their study,

remain in residence while completing their respective degrees, and include summers in their program of work

when appropriate. All forms of support will be contingent upon progress toward the degree as reflected in

meeting the milestones for doctoral programs (on file with the Graduate School) as well as program timelines

established for master’s degrees.

We expect our departments to have doctoral students enter candidacy at some point during their third year but

no later than the fourth year in the program. In general, the College expects students to complete their PhD or

D.MA by the end of their sixth year if not sooner. Most terminal degree M.F.A. candidates complete their

programs in three years; some programs have now engineered completion to occur in two years linked by

summer study.

While the College will consider individual exceptions, all entering and current doctoral students should work

with a clear expectation of no College funding beyond their sixth year. This policy was originally implemented

in Fall 2014. M.F.A. and MA students should expect no College funding beyond the milestone determined by

their program.

Petitions for exception, which will be rarely granted starting Fall 2017, must include compelling and exceptional

justification, be supported by the department chair, and should be directed to the Senior Association Dean for

consideration. All doctoral program faculty and advisers are strongly encouraged to mentor students toward

timely completion.

University Policies

Time Limits

Master’s Degree

All requirements for a master’s degree must be completed within one six-year period. Work over six years old

may be reinstated only with the permission of the graduate dean, upon recommendation of the Graduate Studies

Committee. The Graduate Studies Committee will review the program of every student yearly; the results of this

review will be provided to the student in writing.

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Doctoral Degree

All completed work that is included in a doctoral student’s degree program at the time of admission to

candidacy must have been taken within the previous six years (exclusive of a maximum of three years of United

States military service). Work over six years old may be reinstated upon recommendation of the Graduate

Studies Committee. The Graduate Studies Committee will review the program of every student yearly; the

results of this review will be provided to the student in writing. At those times, the committee may recommend

additional coursework, further examinations, or termination of candidacy. In addition, the program is subject to

review by the graduate dean.

Breaks In Attendance

Leave of Absence and readmission

Graduate students, prior to the last semester may apply to the Graduate Adviser for a leave of absence of no

more than two semesters. Per the policy, a student must have a very strong reason for requesting a leave of

absence (i.e. personal or family illness, etc.). The Graduate School does not accept “insufficient funds" as an

acceptable reason for granting a leave of absence. A leave of absence does not affect the time limit for

completion of the degree. While on a leave of absence, a student may not receive advice or assistance from

faculty members and may not use services or facilities of the University. The student on an approved leave of

absence must apply for readmission in order to return to the University; however, readmission during the

approved period is automatic and the application fee is waived if a copy of the approved Leave of Absence

application is submitted. Students applying for readmission must do so by December 1 for the spring semester,

July 1 for the fall semester.

Withdrawal

A student may withdraw (i.e. drop all of their courses) from the University through the last day of classes. In

order to withdraw for a semester or summer session, a student must file a Withdrawal Petition and Refund

Request form with the Dean of Graduate Studies. This fillable form is available here. Students may also reach

out to the Graduate Coordinator for a copy. Please be in communication with your program if you intend to

withdraw.

Warning Status and Dismissal

Warning

If a student's cumulative graduate grade point average falls below a B average/3.0, the Dean of Graduate Studies

will warn the student that their good standing is in jeopardy. During the next semester or summer session in

which the student is registered, they must maintain a B average or be subject to dismissal. This warning can

affect whether or not a student is eligible for TA-ships in the subsequent semester. Student are reviewed by the

Graduate Studies Committe annually, and must be making satisfactory progress to continue. See:

https://catalog.utexas.edu/graduate/degree-requirements/warning-status-academic-dismissal-termination/.

Note: A student in a warning status may drop or withdraw only with special permission of the Graduate Adviser

and the Dean of Graduate Studies. A petition must be presented to the Dean of Graduate Studies from the

Graduate Adviser. Withdrawals for medical reasons are handled through the Student Health Center. Please be in

touch with the department if you intend to withdraw.

Dismissal

Students may be dismissed by the Graduate School for failing to make Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Grievance Procedures

Every effort should be made to resolve academic, nonacademic, and employment grievances informally between the student and the faculty member most directly involved or, such efforts failing, by the Graduate Adviser,

and/or the Chair of the Department. Students may seek assistance from the Ombudsperson who will serve as a

neutral third party: www.utexas.edu/student/ombuds.

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When serious issues cannot be resolved informally, the graduate student may have recourse to the formal

grievance procedure that can be found in the General Information Catalogue (academic, non-academic,

employment, and other disputes). It should be noted that the precise procedure to be followed in adjudicating

given grievance will depend upon the particular circumstances surrounding the case. Refer to the Handbook of

Operating Procedures, policy 1.C.2 at www.utexas.edu/policies/hoppm/.

Services and Resources

Below is a list of useful links and resources for prospective and current students. Please note that this is not an

exhaustive list. See also: the complete list of University offices A-Z.

Accounting and Cashier Services (Bursar)

Blanton Museum of Art

Career Services in Fine Arts

Center for Community Engagement

Counseling & Mental Health Center

Financial Aid

General Libraries Information (also see: UT Fine Arts Library)

Graduate Catalog and Policy Library

Graduate and International Admissions Center

Graduate Student Services and Resources (General: Career, Events, Housing, Graduate Students

Families, Climate Surveys, Campus Services, Student Employment)

Graduate Housing

Graduate Professional Development & Events

The Graduate School

Graduate Student Writing Support Services

Legal Services for Students

Office for Inclusion & Equity

Office of the Registrar: semester schedules (including deadlines), calendars, and catalogs:

https://registrar.utexas.edu/calendars

Ombuds

Parking & Transportation

Police Department (UTPD)

26

Recreational Sports Information

Resource Guide to Mental Health Services for Graduate Students and Programs

Services for Students with Disabilities

Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should

contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (Video

Phone) as soon as possible to request an official letter outlining authorized accommodations.

Additional information here: http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/index.php.

Texas Union Information Desk

Undocumented Students

University Health Services

UT Global (Formerly International Student Services)

Veteran Student Resources

Visual Arts Center (Art Building)

Additional Policies

Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with all University of Texas policies governing academic

and non-academic conduct. The complete policy library may be found: https://www.utsystem.edu/sites/policy-

library.

In order to address frequently asked questions, a few select policies are outlined and linked below.

Academic Policies

Full-time student status

Grades & Credit

Leaves of Absence

Transfer Credit

Key Dates

Grievances

Registration Policies

Adding & Dropping Courses

Registration Procedures

Late Registration

Withdrawals

International Independent Study & Research

International Travel Policies

Title IX Policies: Sexual Harassment, Misconduct, Discrimination, and Consensual Relationships

Academic Integrity